“Exclusive gear for me?”

“I thought you might start preparing that kind of gear around now… So I felt that I wanted to craft your first exclusive gear, which will record your future journey. Because you’re someone who recognizes the value of my equipment… and because you helped me gain recognition from my parents. I really wanted to repay you.”

Gear that will record the journey ahead. What kind of gear could strike such a chord in my heart?

“At first, my desire to repay was strong… but the more I made it, the more I got greedy. Thinking of my first meeting with you and imagining your future travels kept sparking inspiration….”

“I don’t need to go to any other equipment shop. Please show me right away!”

“You might not like it… It’s my first time crafting exclusive gear for someone….”

I followed her as she hurried ahead with quick steps. Entering the shop, unchanged from my first visit, I passed the display case where I had talked with Iris’s party and arrived at the counter where I had handed over the pamphlet.

In front of a space covered by a curtain next to where I had changed equipment, she fidgeted with her hands and shrugged her shoulders. She seemed to slightly regret having brought me this far.

“How could I possibly dislike equipment made with me in mind? I’m already fond of it before even seeing it.”

Hearing my words, she took a deep breath and pulled back the curtain. There stood a mannequin similar to my build, dressed in an all-black set of gear reminiscent of a uniform. My heart nearly stopped. A groan escaped me involuntarily.

“Since you always wear a black robe, I figured you prefer black… so I had everything tailored in black. The long coat has a hood attached to the back…”

She turned the mannequin around to show me the back view as well.

“It’s also great for wearing instead of the robe…”

Once I wear that gear, I’ll toss the robe away immediately. Finally, I’d shed the beginner equipment and acquire a perfect outfit that combines both performance and style.

The outer garment was an unbalanced long coat, short enough in front to barely cover the hips but falling straight down to the knees in the back. When I unzipped it, a tank top made of an unusual fabric woven like reptile scales was revealed.

The bottom consisted of shorts with many pockets, while the design of the long boots reaching up to the thighs covered all bare skin. The knuckles of the black leather gloves were studded with small spikes, and the hat even included goggles.

What stood out were the numerous leather belts on the forearms, sleeves, chest, waist, and even the boots, along with black gems embedded here and there. Were the gems just decoration?

Watching me examine the gear closely, she slowly explained each part.

“To prevent you from getting wet or dirty when entering water or swamps in the future, I designed the pants short and the boots long… since you can’t do laundry often during travel. The boot material was carefully chosen so you can wipe off dirt with a damp cloth. It’s also well-insulated and prevents sweat buildup.”

I’d never worn shoes that went above the ankle, and now I was getting boots that reached up to my thighs? My heart raced at the thought of wearing something previously seen on game or comic characters. It felt like seeing real fantasy gear. Would it even fit my legs?

“There are a lot of belts, huh?”

“Since this might become gear you wear for life if you undergo Bark reinforcement… I added belts that can be tightened or loosened to adjust as your muscles grow or your body shape changes.”

“Wow… life-long gear…!”

Every detail of the equipment showed thoughtful consideration for me. Plus, when I lightly touched it, I could immediately feel through the texture that all the materials were extremely luxurious.

“Can I try it on right now?”

She nodded and stepped aside. When I was fitted for equipment before, she had assisted me, but seeing her send me into the fitting room alone suggested this gear was designed for easy wear.

I stripped off the robe and equipment I was wearing and changed into the new gear. I could feel all over my body that this equipment was truly made for me. Without needing to adjust any belts, it fit perfectly and comfortably, as if it had been one with my body from the start.

I put on the gloves, finally placed the goggles on my forehead, and turned this way and that in front of the mirror inside the fitting room to examine myself.

With the new look, the low-level Jae was nowhere to be seen, and a seasoned-looking Jae was beaming so widely that his cheeks seemed to be soaring up to the sky.

It wasn’t adorned with flashy gold trims or patterns like the dryad’s equipment, but it was uniquely decorated with noticeable black gems on the backs of the hands, shoulders, forearms, chest, back, and various parts of the gear.

I brushed my hand over the black gems, finding quite a lot of them one by one. Could the equipment be called something like ‘Black Gem Equipment Set’? Were they just decorations? The look was fine, but it seemed to emphasize practicality quite a bit—could the gems also have some meaning?

Finally, I took out my phone and items from my original robe and moved them into the coat’s pockets. Diamonds kept coming out no matter how many I put away. Frustrated, I was scooping the diamonds back into my phone when I heard the dwarves’ jeering voices.

After finishing moving my belongings, I reached into the opposite pocket of the newly changed clothes and found a business-card-sized piece of paper with ‘Porta’ stylishly written in black ink. What was this?

When I stepped out of the fitting room, her expression brightened at the sight of me. Somehow, it made me feel a bit shy.

“A paper with ‘Porta’ written on it came out of the pocket—what is this?”

“Ah… Porta is my name.”

So it was a mark indicating the equipment’s maker. Equipment crafted with care by an artisan should have a name on it—that’s what makes it crafted gear, right?

“I really love it! It’s so cool. It’s perfect without a single uncomfortable spot.”

“I’m glad you like it… really relieved.”

I showed off to Siedling by pulling down the goggles from my forehead. Isn’t my gear just as cool as your armor? Of course, there was no compliment or reaction from him. What a boring guy. Was it too much to hope for even this much?

“Since you didn’t seem to prefer a helmet… I prepared goggles that can block storms in desert fields or snow fields. They protect your eyes from dust, but if you press that button, the lens changes.”

Following Porta’s guidance, I clicked a small button on the side of the goggles, and in an instant, my view turned dark.

“They can also protect your eyes from strong sunlight or the glare of snowy mountains.”

“This is the best…”

Come to think of it, I felt the black gem decorated on the goggles too.

“What are these black gems?”

“It’s obsidian. Even though it’s hard to come by, it has the advantage of being able to contain any sun’s blessing, so I specially requested the Alchemy Tower to procure high-grade obsidian… Normally, people would equip cost-effective diamonds from April or emeralds from May, which cover many blooming periods, but I wasn’t sure which bark enhancement you’d prefer….”

“Huh? Why would those gems come up here?”

“Um… are gems used on equipment other than dryads?”

“Aren’t gems worn like dryad accessories to receive combat bonuses?”

“…You don’t seem to know much about bark enhancement. It makes sense since you’ve just stepped out of being a novice druid.”

“She’s at the level of a sapling.”

The seedling, who had been silent all along, suddenly blurted out. Ha, just when I thought I was starting to shed my low-level look, they’re still going on about saplings.

“The gems used in a druid’s equipment are different from a dryad’s sun gems. Sun gems are, as the name suggests, gems formed when the sun’s power crystallizes on the branches of the World Tree. But the gems used in a druid’s equipment are empty ones dug from the ground, devoid of the sun’s power. Because they’re truly empty, they become vessels that can contain the sun’s blessing. That act of containing the blessing is called bark enhancement.”

“Then what month’s gem is the obsidian embedded in my equipment? You said it can contain any sun’s blessing… Does the moon not matter at all?”

“If you continue traveling, you might be lucky enough to visit a primordial colony. Or you might even go looking for one yourself.”

“A primordial colony?”

“A primordial colony refers to the place where any plant first formed a colony. That place can also be seen as the origin of the myth created by the plant’s first progenitor. The myth of the flowers becomes the meaning of their birth, the purpose of their lives, and the value of their existence. By inheriting the myth from their ancestors, it serves as a guide for the flower to live as that flower. Because such great power began and accumulated there, the sun’s blessing has remained for a very long time.”

“Where the myth began….”

“A place where thousands or tens of thousands of flowers have bloomed their petals under the same sunlight for ages. If a druid goes there, they can imbue the land-forged gems with the sun’s blessing from the blooming period. That is bark enhancement.”

“Just hearing the explanation is amazing….”

Porta didn’t stutter at all while explaining the knowledge. In that demeanor, I could see a seasoned expert. So besides technical skills for crafting equipment, one must know all that knowledge too.

“Siedling, then did you also undergo bark enhancement?”

“If you’re a high-level player like that, you must have enhanced your gear, right?” In response to my words, he raised his left arm clad in a gauntlet, showing me a green gem embedded in his forearm. Green means emerald? I was surprised to learn that the gem wasn’t just a decorative piece on the armor but an enhancement socket. After hearing the explanation, the gems adorned on the equipment looked different to me.

“It contains the sun of May from Cardon’s colony. It holds the ‘Endurance’ ability, the strongest power Cardon can exert during its blooming season.”

So it really was a May emerald. The ring on my Viburnum finger was an emerald ring after all. Since it’s a gem representing May, it can hold the power of the blooming season battle bonus—okay, I understand that. But it seems it doesn’t just hold a blessing, does it?

“What does that mean? Isn’t it just holding the sun’s blessing?”

I pointed at Siedling’s gauntlet and asked Porta. After Siedling interrupted, Porta had switched back to his timid mode.

“While it’s important to store the power of the blooming season sun according to the gem, you also need to decide which plant’s colony to draw power from… because the abilities vary depending on the plant… Usually, people prefer to find colonies of defensive-type plants that boost equipment durability or defense… but finding the first colony itself is lucky, so if the gem matches, there are cases where they just store the blessing….”

So enhancement is about adding special abilities to equipment. If I find a colony of a recovery-type plant like Elder and enhance my gloves, would it add something like a recovery option?

And to enhance from an Elderflower colony, I’d need a ruby gem matching Elder’s battle bonus month embedded in my equipment.

So it’s not like simple +1 or +2 enhancements, but I can customize and add options to my liking. Wow, it’s not like using items to randomly add options, is it? It’s nice that I don’t have to dump tons of random enhancement items to get the meta options like in some games.

“Then, in my equipment, is the reason I used obsidian instead of emerald like that guy because it can hold the power of any month’s sun regardless?”

Porta nodded.

“Wow… Then I could just cover my whole equipment with obsidian!”

I’ll pack enhancements into everything! If I enhance properly, wouldn’t I be able to prevent the embarrassing incident at the Alchemy Tower where I almost got knocked out by White Daisy from being hit? Even if it looks unsightly, I’ll buy up tons of diamonds and cover my entire body with obsidian….

“Just putting gems into equipment… doesn’t allow for Bark enhancement… You have to make the gem take root in the equipment, and if there are too many gems, power conflicts occur, so you need to balance them… Plus, obsidian is not only hard to obtain but also tricky to handle….”

If everything went as I thought, how easy would life be? But as expected, this world, like other games, adhered to the formula that all equipment has enhancement limits.